Alabama becomes 44th member of the Complete College America Alliance

May 08, 2018

MOBILE, AL (April 23, 2018) – The Mobile Area Education Foundation (MAEF) is excited to announce that on Friday, April 27, 2018 at Lawson State Community College, Alabama will announce the launching of Complete College Alabama in partnership with Complete College America. MAEF will co-present with Bishop State Community College to share how its partnership with Complete College America has reshaped Bishop’s enrollment and completion strategies through its 15 to Finish campaign. Joining Complete College America’s Alliance is a collaborative effort led by the Alabama Community College System and Alabama Commission on Higher Education to address low post-secondary attainment rates in Alabama. The Alliance consist of states, systems, institutional consortia and partner organizations taking bold actions to significantly increase the number of students successfully completing college. “As an early adopter of 15 to Finish, Bishop State Community College has helped to pave the way for the entire state of Alabama by embracing a culture of completion and committing to Complete College America’s strategies to boost on-time graduation,” said CCA Vice President Dhanfu Elston. “With the support of MAEF, Bishop’s ability to seamlessly integrate 15 to Finish with other student success efforts such as structured schedules and academic maps has created a strong model for other community colleges in Alabama to follow.” The 15 to Finish campaign encourages students to take at least 15 credit hours per semester, and helps to remove the stigma that 12 credit hours are enough to ensure on-time graduation. Taking more credit hours in return reduces the cost of attendance, and allows students to graduate on time. “The launching of Complete College Alabama is a significant act for Alabama’s richest resource...its citizens. Investing in Alabama’s human capital is the best strategy to workforce and economic development”, states Chandra Scott the Director of Strategic Outcomes for the Mobile Area Education Foundation. “The Complete College Alabama partnership is not only vital to helping us achieve the overall goal of the 75,000 Degrees Initiative but is the catalyst to bridging resources and talents that are essential to the success of Alabama’s institutions of higher education.” Obtaining a post-secondary degree or credential is a leading contributor to improving the overall wellbeing of Mobile County citizens. The work of 75,000 Degrees and 15 to Finish is made possible by MAEF’s partnership with Complete College America and Lumina Foundation. Bishop State is the only community college in Alabama using the evidence-based practices associated with the 15 to Finish campaign. Furthermore, Bishop State’s ability to increase its retention rate to 49% and see a nearly 16% increase in the number of students taking 15 credit hours, has positioned them as trailblazers and exemplars for other Alabama Community Colleges to model. For more information, contact Chandra Scott via email at cscott@maef.net or phone (251) 476-0002.

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Mobile Area Education Foundation The Mobile Area Education Foundation is a county-wide partnership of citizens, businesses, local public school systems, colleges and public agencies working together to ensure that all the children of Mobile County are given the opportunity to succeed. Its mission is to build community responsibility for improving public education outcomes in Mobile County. Visit www.maef.net.75,000 Degrees Initiative The Mobile Area Education Foundation was selected as one of 75 communities in the U.S. to receive a Lumina Foundation grant to design and support local efforts in improving college attainment rates. MAEF has facilitated the work of the Education Commission, Mobile’s PreK-20 council to create a sense of urgency to double the number of post-secondary credentials and degrees by the year 2030 to our region’s growing workforce needs. Through the use of data, commitment of shared resources and responsibility, and transparently reporting progress, the 75,000 Degrees Blueprint was developed. This Blueprint is a post-secondary attainment agenda success plan which will guide the collective goal of doubling the number of Mobile citizens with degrees and credentials by 2030. The 75,000 Degrees Blueprint outlines Mobile’s challenges, recommendations and measurable outcomes to students Getting READY, Getting IN and Getting THROUGH post-secondary pathways. The Blueprint also provides a Call to Action for all stakeholders to ensure the sustainability and success of this community reaching 75,000 Degrees. Visit www.maef.net for more information.